UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- With honey bee pollination contributing to more than $50 million in agricultural production in the state annually, and with approximately 2,000 Pennsylvanians already registered as beekeepers, you might be wondering what the buzz is all about.

The Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association's annual meeting, Nov. 11-12 at the Country Cupboard in Lewisburg, will provide an opportunity for expert beekeepers to discuss important issues as well as offer beginners good advice and helpful tools for starting up.

"We have seen a lot of interest in the field as of late," says Maryann Frazier, extension beekeeping specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. "People seem to really want to know more about bees and beekeeping. Because there seems to be such an interest, we want to offer beginners the tools and information that will help them succeed."

On Nov. 11 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., a special workshop entitled "Newbees and Tobees" will be held for beginning beekeepers. Anyone interested in becoming a beekeeper can learn what they need to know to get started this spring. Speakers will discuss topics ranging from year-long care for bees to management of diseases and pests. In addition, small group sessions will be held where experienced beekeepers will answer questions.

Speakers will include skilled Pennsylvania beekeepers and beekeeping specialists, such as Pennsylvania state apiarist Dennis van Engelsdorp and Frazier. Attendees at the beginners' workshop will receive a free, one-year membership with the Pennsylvania Beekeepers Association. Also, they can be matched up with an experienced beekeeper who will act as a mentor through the first year of beekeeping, Frazier says.

On Nov. 12, renowned apiarist Kirk Webster will share information on commercial beekeeping without chemicals. Webster is a commercial beekeeper from Vermont whose primary focus has been on producing hardy northern-bred bees and queens that are resistant to parasitic mites.

"Kirk Webster is an incredibly talented beekeeper," says Frazier. "Since 1998, he has been gradually withdrawing chemical mite treatment, and remarkably, he has kept bees without any chemical mite control since 2002."

Also on Nov. 12, workshops for experienced beekeepers will cover topics such as small hive beetle trapping, comb honey production and an update on virus research.

"The meeting is designed to offer apiarists of all skill levels the opportunity to expand their understanding and comprehension of the field and hopefully aid in their success," says Frazier.

To learn more about beekeeping, visit the Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium on the Web at http://maarec.cas.psu.edu. For more information on the Pennsylvania Beekeepers Association meeting, contact Yvonne Crimbring by phone at (570) 673-8201 or by e-mail at mxt15@psu.edu.

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Writer: Ryan Szivos
Editor: Chuck Gill Office 814-863-2713